Penguins

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Julie

Penguins

Post by Julie »

Please pray for the penguins. :lol:

Iceberg threat to penguin chicks



WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- Tens of thousands of Antarctic penguin chicks could starve to death in the next few weeks as a huge iceberg blocks access to coastal feeding grounds, a New Zealand official has said.

A 3,000 square-kilometer (1,200 square-mile) iceberg, known as B15A, could also block the sea route used to supply three science stations during the Southern Hemisphere summer, said Lou Sanson, chief executive of the government scientific agency Antarctica New Zealand.

The iceberg has blocked sea ice flows from McMurdo Sound as it moves at a speed of 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) a day. U.S. researchers have estimated that B15A contains enough fresh water to supply Egypt's Nile River complex for 80 years, Sanson said.

He called the iceberg "the largest floating thing on the planet right now," and said it could block four supply ships due to arrive in Antarctica in a month.

Three thousand breeding pairs of Adele penguins on Antarctic's Cape Royds face a 180-kilometer (112-mile) round trip to bring food to their chicks, because their access to ocean feeding grounds has been cut by the ice buildup.

"So by the time a penguin comes in from the ice edge on a return 180-kilometer (112-mile) walk they've used all the food" they gathered when they reach their nests, he said.

"Penguin researchers are predicting that the annual hatching is pretty certain to fail," Sanson said, meaning most chicks will die.

Scientists also fear that only about 10 percent of the 50,000 breeding pairs of Adele penguins at nearby Cape Bird will rear a chick this season, Sanson added.

Adult penguins there face a 100-kilometer (60-mile) round trip across the ice to reach open water and food.

Antarctica New Zealand is working with the United States and Italian Antarctic programs on alternatives for receiving vital fuel supplies for their science bases in late January.

A U.S. icebreaker, fuel tanker and cargo ship plus an Italian cargo vessel are due to deliver a year's supply of fuel and food at that time, he said.

The alternatives are to break a 130-kilometer (81-mile) channel through the pack ice to reach Winter Quarters Bay on the McMurdo Sound coast -- or offload the fuel and other supplies on the ice edge, pumping fuel through temporary lines several miles to storage tanks, he said.

All Antarctic bases have contingency supplies of a year's food and fuel, Sanson said.

Currently there is "more fast (blocked) ice in McMurdo Sound than we've ever recorded in living history for this time of year," Sanson said, adding that the iceberg has been stopping normal winds and water currents from breaking up sea ice in McMurdo Sound.
Dana D
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:28 am
Location: Charlevoix, Michigan U.S.A.
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Post by Dana D »

Anyone have the link to the penguin game from last winter? The kids had a ball with it!
Rich

Post by Rich »

For some reason Dana, that url quit working, the guy probably got sick of us all using it, ha. Rich
PowersACE

Available at Ace Hardware

Post by PowersACE »

Richie has been gone alot lately, he didnt realize that we have that link available at our local ACE Hardware.
http://www.andkon.com/arcade/sport/penguinball/
I found out about this from Ernie Fergler
Rich

Post by Rich »

Jeff, How in the heck did you find that!!!!?? I got 531.6 on the second try, what was the record, I don't remember? Thanks, now I can waster more time!!!
Rich

Post by Rich »

Well, it wasn't that, I got 545.1 a little later.......................
PowersACE

The Story of the Penguin Game

Post by PowersACE »

Powers ACE

Post by Powers ACE »

593.5!, wait till the kids get going they'll blow that away
J.McBain

top this

Post by J.McBain »

Not sure how I did this, but I got 16135.9. Dang thing just kept going.
J.Mcbain

opps

Post by J.Mcbain »

Ah, I figured out what happened. I clicked on a version of it that takes away gravity.
Julie

Penguins

Post by Julie »

I'm concerned about the plight of the poor penguins and your shooting them in the air and everywhere. :cry:
Rich

Post by Rich »

Our killing instincts/perogatives are not predetermined to penguins only.......
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